Rev. John Mure Shakspear or Shakespear

Rev. John Mure Shakespear (1786-1836).

1. John Mure (born 08/12/1786) and Arthur (born 18/05/1788), sons of David Shakespeare and his wife Catharine (nee Wagstaffe), baptised in St Elizabeth, Jamaica, 14/04/1789. Madras Army cadet in 1803 and lieutenant, 6th Madras Cavalry, 1808; retired from the army 29/5/1818 and was ordained immediately afterwards, being appointed curate of Frodsham, Cheshire. He married at Northfield, Worcestershire, 20/01/1817, Frances Eliza, a daughter of Philip Frederick Muntz; she died 7/3/1839; they had three children:

   Frances Eliza: born 8/7/1818; died young

   John Joseph Arthur: born 19/3/1820; MA (Cantab), barrister (never practised); Member of Legislative Council, Jamaica, 1855; in England from 1861 to death in 1881

   Emma: died young.

2. The will of John Mure Shakespear of Bahama Villa Cheltenham and of Hodges in Jamaica (made 10/04/1834) was proved 22/08/1836. Under the will he left his property to his son John Joseph Arthur Shakespear; if the son died before he reached 21, the Jamaica property was to go to John Mure Shakespear's sister Anne (to whom he was paying an annuity of £200 p.a.) and his brother Arthur 'of Hastings.' The executors were Frank [sic] Green of Leadenhall Street [in fact, Edmund Francis Green, q.v.] and John Mure Shakespear's brother-in-law Colonel Roome of Cadogan Place. John Joseph Arthur Shakespear died in 1881, late of 161 New Bond Street and of Hodges Pen in Jamaica, and left just under £7000 in personalty in England.

3. Died in Belgrave Street, 20/07/1836 (described as "of Hodges"). His wife had died at Hodges in 1829. She was the sister of George Frederick Muntz, MP for Birmingham 1840-1857 and Philip Henry Muntz, MP for Birmingham 1869-1885. George Frederick has an entry in the ODNB. Although he is not described as a clergyman in the body of his will (dated 10/04/1836, proved 22/08/1836 the will is indexed as that of Rev. John Mure Shakespear.

4. John Joseph Arthur Shakespear was admitted at Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1839 aged 19.

1. Familysearch.org, Jamaica Church of England Parish Register Transcripts, 1664-1880 [database online]; email from Paul Hitchings 04/03/2019 sourced to Daily Gleaner 27/04/1931 p. 31.

2. PROB 11/1866/123; 1881 National Probate Calendar.

3. Oxford University and City Herald 23/07/1836; Birmingham Journal 27/04/1829; Samuel Timmins, revised by Matthew Lee, 'Muntz, George Frederick (1794–1857), political reformer and industrialist', ONDB Online.

4. Ancestry.com, Cambridge University Alumni, 1261-1900 [database online].

We are grateful to Paul Hitchings for his assistance with compiling this entry.